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This Dirt Cake Recipe is an easy no-bake dessert made with layers of crushed Oreo cookies, creamy chocolate pudding, cream cheese, and whipped topping. Add gummy worms to turn it into a fun Oreo Dirt Cake for birthday parties, Easter, Halloween, summer BBQs, or any time you need a dessert that both kids and adults will love.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“For those who are chocolate lovers, this dirt cake is a hit. I made mine without the gummy worms. My family enjoyed this recipe.” – Kay
“So easy and so fun! Plus tastes great. My babies love this recipe.” – Kandace
“I love dirt cake, so many fun memories from when we were kids!” – Emily
A Favorite Childhood Dessert
I still remember the first time I had this Dirt Cake Recipe. My mom brought this exact dessert to my second-grade Easter party and served it in little paper Dixie cups. Each cup had its own gummy worm sticking out of the Oreo “dirt.” There was something so exciting about getting a special treat at school, and it made the dessert taste even better.
I still love making Oreo Dirt Cake because it is easy, no-bake, and perfect for sharing. The cream cheese helps give the pudding filling a thicker, creamier texture, while the crushed Oreos add plenty of chocolate flavor. It can also be prepared ahead of time, which is always helpful when I am making food for a birthday, holiday, or family gathering.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Oreo cookies – I use one 18-oz Family Size package for generous “dirt.”
- Instant chocolate pudding mix – Two 3.9-oz boxes; vanilla works too.
- Milk – Whole milk or 2% will both work great.
- Butter – Softened to room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Softened. This will make it easier to whip without getting lumps.
- Powdered sugar – This adds sweetness and smoothness to the pudding layer.
- Cool Whip – Thawed in the fridge (about 4 hours).
- Gummy worms – Or holiday gummies/candies for decorating.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Change the pudding flavor: Use vanilla, French vanilla, white chocolate, or a combination of chocolate and vanilla instant pudding. Chocolate pudding gives the dessert the darkest dirt-like appearance.
- Try different Oreos: Regular, Double Stuf, flavored, and gluten-free Oreos can all be used. Golden Oreos or vanilla sandwich cookies are a fun choice for a beach-themed “sand” dessert.
- Use homemade whipped cream: Substitute approximately 3 cups of lightly sweetened whipped cream for the Cool Whip. Homemade whipped cream is softer, so the dessert may not hold its shape quite as long.
- Make it gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free Oreo cookies and check the labels on the pudding mix, whipped topping, gummy worms, and other decorations.
- Add chocolate: Sprinkle mini chocolate chips, chopped candy bars, or chocolate shavings between the layers.
- Use seasonal candy: Add candy pumpkins for Halloween, jelly beans for Easter, or candy flowers for a garden party.
- Skip the gummy worms: The dessert still tastes just as good without them, especially when serving adults who may not want the fruity candy mixed with the chocolate filling.
How to Make a Dirt Cake
- Crush the Oreos: Pulse in a food processor or bash in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin (leave some small chunks for texture).
- Make the pudding: Whisk instant pudding with cold milk until thick; chill 5 minutes.
- Whip the cream layer: Beat softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Combine: Mix the pudding into the cream cheese mixture, then gently fold in Cool Whip.
- Layer: Press half the cookie crumbs into a 9×13 dish, spread on all the pudding mixture, then cover with remaining crumbs.
- Decorate & chill: Cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight is even better. Add gummy worms or decorations just before serving.
Fun Serving Ideas and Variations
- Individual dirt cups – for easier serving at parties, you can serve these in fun cups like little flower pots for something cool!
- Trifle dish – Serve in a trifle dish for a different presentation. Make multiple layers that can be seen through the glass, adding gummy worms along the way!
- Halloween version – add candy corn, candy corn pumpkins and tombstones. You can also find candy bones! The gummy worms would also fit right in with this dirt cake.
- Easter version – add jellybeans or edible candy Easter grass, you could use vanilla or pastel colored pudding and Nilla Wafers or vanilla Oreos on top for a lighter colored option.
- Beach version – use Nilla Wafers or golden Oreos for “sand”, vanilla pudding, and beach themed gummies. This can be served in a plastic bucket with a plastic shovel for extra novelty.
- Garden flowerpot – Place a food-safe serving bowl inside a new, clean flowerpot and fill it with dirt cake. Decorate the top with gummy worms and artificial or food-safe flowers.
Recipe Tips
- Use instant pudding. Cook-and-serve pudding will not set properly when prepared using this method.
- Start with cold milk. Cold whole or 2% milk helps the instant pudding thicken quickly.
- Let the pudding thicken first. Give the pudding 5 to 10 minutes in the refrigerator before combining it with the other ingredients.
- Properly soften the butter and cream cheese. They should be soft enough to beat smoothly but not melted or warm.
- Beat out the lumps before adding the pudding. Mix the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar until completely smooth before combining them with the pudding.
- Fold in the Cool Whip gently. Stirring too aggressively can remove some of the air and make the filling less fluffy.
- Do not remove the Oreo filling. Crush the entire cookies, creme included. The filling helps the crumbs hold together and adds more Oreo flavor.
- Save some crumbs for serving. For a crunchier topping, refrigerate the dessert without the final Oreo layer and sprinkle those crumbs on shortly before serving.
- Add gummy worms at the end. Gummy candy can become firm when refrigerated for a long time. Add it just before serving or let the worms sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
- Chill it thoroughly. Two hours is the minimum, but 8 to 12 hours gives the filling more time to set and allows the Oreo layers to soften slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dirt cake, also called dirt pudding or dirt and worms, is a no-bake dessert made with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, pudding, cream cheese, and whipped topping.
Make sure you are using instant pudding, the correct amount of cold dairy milk, and fully thawed but still cold whipped topping. Let the pudding thicken before combining it with the cream cheese mixture, and chill the finished dessert for at least 2 hours. Plant-based milk may not set instant pudding as firmly as dairy milk.
Yes. Prepare a thick homemade chocolate or vanilla pudding and let it cool completely before adding it to the cream cheese mixture. Use enough cooled pudding to replace the instant pudding and milk mixture in the recipe.
Yes. Replace the regular cookies with certified gluten-free Oreos. Check the labels on the pudding mix, whipped topping, gummy worms, and any other candy decorations to make sure all the ingredients meet your dietary needs.
You can freeze (wrap well), but the texture is best fresh or refrigerated. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Fold in about 3 cups softly whipped, lightly sweetened cream. Keep it chilled.
Food processor for fine crumbs; zip-top bag + rolling pin for chunkier “dirt.”
No. Crush the whole cookies with the creme filling still inside. The filling adds flavor and helps the cookie crumbs clump together slightly.
Yes. Individual portions work especially well for school parties, birthdays, and potlucks. Here is our recipe for Dirt Cups.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead: Dirt cake is a great dessert to prepare in advance. You can assemble it up to 2 days before serving, although I think it has the best combination of creamy filling and softened cookies after chilling for 8 to 12 hours.
- Wait to top: For a crunchier top, reserve some of the Oreo crumbs and add them shortly before serving. I also recommend waiting to add the gummy worms until serving time so they stay soft.
- Refrigerate: Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or a fitted lid. Store the dirt cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze dirt cake, but the thawed filling and cookie crumbs will be softer. Freeze it in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and add fresh Oreo crumbs and gummy worms before serving.
- Transport: Assemble the dessert in a dish with a tight-fitting lid and keep it refrigerated until you leave. Transport it in a cooler if it will be out of the refrigerator for an extended period.
Pairing Ideas
This rich and creamy Oreo Dirt Cake is perfect after a casual meal. I especially like serving it after grilled hamburgers, BBQ hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, Walking Tacos, or a summer potluck dinner. Pair the main dish with pizza pasta salad, potato salad, or fresh fruit salad, then bring out this cold chocolate dessert when everyone is ready for something sweet.
More Easy No Bake Desserts
This Dirt Cake Recipe is easy enough for kids to help make, but it is also one of those nostalgic desserts adults get excited to see at a party. The chocolate pudding filling is creamy, the Oreo layers are rich and chocolatey, and the gummy worms make every serving a little more fun.
Have you tried this Oreo Dirt Cake? Leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you served it and which decorations you added! 💛🩷💙
Dirt Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (18 ounce) package Oreo Cookies, (regular, not double stuffed)
- 2 (3.9 ounce) boxes Jello Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup butter, (softened)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounces Cool Whip, (thawed)
- gummy worms, (for decoration)
Instructions
- Crush Oreos into fine crumbs by placing them in a Ziplock bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin, or by processing in batches in a food processor. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the instant pudding and milk until smooth. Refrigerate until set (about 5 minutes).
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until smooth and whipped together.
- Combine chocolate pudding with cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.
- Gently fold in Cool Whip until well combined.
- Press half of the Oreo crumbs into a 9×13 baking dish to form an even layer.
- Carefully spoon the pudding filling over the Oreo layer and smooth over until flat.
- Sprinkle the remaining Oreo crumbs over the top until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled. Decorate with gummy worms just before serving.
Equipment
- 9×13 glass baking dish
Notes
- Use one 18-ounce Family Size package of Oreos.
- For the cleanest slices, chill overnight and cut with a hot, dry knife.
- Individual dirt cups make serving a breeze for parties.
- Use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve pudding.
- Whole milk or 2% milk will help the pudding set properly.
- Soften the cream cheese and butter before mixing to prevent lumps.
- Do not remove the creme filling from the Oreo cookies before crushing them.
- For a crunchier topping, reserve the final layer of Oreo crumbs and add it shortly before serving.
- Add gummy worms close to serving time so they do not become firm in the refrigerator.
- The dessert can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Use certified gluten-free Oreos and check the remaining ingredient labels for a gluten-free version.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
I love dirt cake! Is this recipe egg free?
Yes, it is as far as I know. Check the labels of the Oreo cookies and Jell-O instant pudding and make sure they don’t contain eggs. I don’t believe they do.
For those who are chocolate lovers, this dirt cake is a hit. I made mine without the gummy worms. My family enjoyed this recipe.
So glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5-stars!
So easy and so fun! Plus taste great. My babies love this recipe.
So glad it was a hit with the kids!
I love dirt cake, so many fun memories from when we were kids!